Industry enjoys intimacy of PMA foodservice conference
August 3, 2008
MONTEREY, CA -- By design, the Produce Marketing Association's foodservice show draws considerably fewer exhibitors and visitors than its annual Fresh Summit conferences.
A little less than 1,500 members attended the association's 27th annual Foodservice Conference & Exposition, held here July 25-27, according to PMA President Bryan Silbermann.
That attendance figure is "a few percent lower" than last year's attendance for the conference, Mr. Silbermann said. He added that given the sagging economy, he had been "expecting 5 to 10 percent lower" attendance and was pleased with the turnout.
The three-day event attracts foodservice distributors, grower-shippers, processors, packers, wholesalers, brokers, chefs, menu developers, restaurant owners and operators.
On Sunday afternoon, Mr. Silbermann said that he was pleased with the "energy of the people who are here." The overhang of the Salmonella outbreak perhaps encouraged industry members to take comfort with each other and to re-establish connections, he said.
For some, less is more when it comes to crowds. A smaller crowd and lighter foot traffic by a booth can mean more quality time with the ones who do stop by.
"The time we spend with people [at PMA's foodservice show] doesn't overwhelm us," said Lorena Velarde of Salinas, CA-based Epic Roots. "Typically, we get new business."
Margaret D'Arrigo of Salinas-based D'Arrigo Bros. Co. of California said that foot traffic by the firm's booth was good. "We made connections for new business," she said. In addition, the three-day event allowed for productive tours, meetings and receptions, she added.
Andy Cumming of Salinas-based Metz Fresh said that every year the company "picks up some new business from the show."
Kori Tuggle of Castroville, CA-based Ocean Mist Farms said that there is "always steady traffic all five hours" every year at the Ocean Mist booth. The company also hosted about 80 participants on the tour of its nearby headquarters, she said.
Lex Camany of Salinas, CA-based The Salad Farm did not exhibit but instead walked the show floor on Sunday, which, he said, gave him the opportunity to "see old friends."
Mitch DiMarco of Orlando, FL-based Spice World said that PMA's foodservice show "is the best [trade] show by far" for Spice World, and that the company always makes significant contacts at the show.
Nichole Towell of Duda Farm Fresh Foods now lives in Florida but grew up in Salinas. "I love coming home," to visit family and friends, Ms. Towell said. Chuck Olsen of Visalia, CA-based The Chuck Olsen Co. Inc. said that the company held "really good meetings" during the conference weekend.
Henry Dill of Salinas, CA-based Pacific International Marketing said that there have been "more suppliers in the past" walking the exhibition floor. PIM's close proximity to the conference allows the company to invite visitors to its facilities to detail some of its systems and products.
One of the purposes of the conference is for suppliers and buyers to meet, hopefully leading to a purchase order in the future.
PMA's foodservice conference has been held in Monterey since 1991. However, the association is pondering the idea of moving the conference away from Monterey, perhaps every third year, Mr. Silbermann said. There is no desire to abandon Monterey completely, but a different location offers the "opportunity for new energy," he said. He mentioned Southern California as a possible new location for the event.
In addition, the Monterey site's space is maxed out. This year's foodservice show had 149 exhibitors, the maximum number that PMA feels it can fit comfortably. The vast majority of exhibitors return every year, and every year PMA has to turn away potential exhibitors, Mr. Silbermann said. Additionally, "This [Monterey location] doesn't have enough breakout rooms," he said. The conference focuses on end-user chefs more than in the past, when the focus was more narrowly on the trade, Mr. Silbermann said.
"Now the conference focuses on how influencers are changing the way the consumer views produce," Mr. Silbermann said.
Despite space limitations for the conference, PMA has shown to be nimble. Tim York of Salinas-based Markon Cooperative proposed the idea of the Saturday afternoon town hall meeting on the Salmonella outbreak just three weeks before the conference, an event that was well attended.
A little less than 1,500 members attended the association's 27th annual Foodservice Conference & Exposition, held here July 25-27, according to PMA President Bryan Silbermann.
That attendance figure is "a few percent lower" than last year's attendance for the conference, Mr. Silbermann said. He added that given the sagging economy, he had been "expecting 5 to 10 percent lower" attendance and was pleased with the turnout.
The three-day event attracts foodservice distributors, grower-shippers, processors, packers, wholesalers, brokers, chefs, menu developers, restaurant owners and operators.
On Sunday afternoon, Mr. Silbermann said that he was pleased with the "energy of the people who are here." The overhang of the Salmonella outbreak perhaps encouraged industry members to take comfort with each other and to re-establish connections, he said.
For some, less is more when it comes to crowds. A smaller crowd and lighter foot traffic by a booth can mean more quality time with the ones who do stop by.
"The time we spend with people [at PMA's foodservice show] doesn't overwhelm us," said Lorena Velarde of Salinas, CA-based Epic Roots. "Typically, we get new business."
Margaret D'Arrigo of Salinas-based D'Arrigo Bros. Co. of California said that foot traffic by the firm's booth was good. "We made connections for new business," she said. In addition, the three-day event allowed for productive tours, meetings and receptions, she added.
Andy Cumming of Salinas-based Metz Fresh said that every year the company "picks up some new business from the show."
Kori Tuggle of Castroville, CA-based Ocean Mist Farms said that there is "always steady traffic all five hours" every year at the Ocean Mist booth. The company also hosted about 80 participants on the tour of its nearby headquarters, she said.
Lex Camany of Salinas, CA-based The Salad Farm did not exhibit but instead walked the show floor on Sunday, which, he said, gave him the opportunity to "see old friends."
Mitch DiMarco of Orlando, FL-based Spice World said that PMA's foodservice show "is the best [trade] show by far" for Spice World, and that the company always makes significant contacts at the show.
Nichole Towell of Duda Farm Fresh Foods now lives in Florida but grew up in Salinas. "I love coming home," to visit family and friends, Ms. Towell said. Chuck Olsen of Visalia, CA-based The Chuck Olsen Co. Inc. said that the company held "really good meetings" during the conference weekend.
Henry Dill of Salinas, CA-based Pacific International Marketing said that there have been "more suppliers in the past" walking the exhibition floor. PIM's close proximity to the conference allows the company to invite visitors to its facilities to detail some of its systems and products.
One of the purposes of the conference is for suppliers and buyers to meet, hopefully leading to a purchase order in the future.
PMA's foodservice conference has been held in Monterey since 1991. However, the association is pondering the idea of moving the conference away from Monterey, perhaps every third year, Mr. Silbermann said. There is no desire to abandon Monterey completely, but a different location offers the "opportunity for new energy," he said. He mentioned Southern California as a possible new location for the event.
In addition, the Monterey site's space is maxed out. This year's foodservice show had 149 exhibitors, the maximum number that PMA feels it can fit comfortably. The vast majority of exhibitors return every year, and every year PMA has to turn away potential exhibitors, Mr. Silbermann said. Additionally, "This [Monterey location] doesn't have enough breakout rooms," he said. The conference focuses on end-user chefs more than in the past, when the focus was more narrowly on the trade, Mr. Silbermann said.
"Now the conference focuses on how influencers are changing the way the consumer views produce," Mr. Silbermann said.
Despite space limitations for the conference, PMA has shown to be nimble. Tim York of Salinas-based Markon Cooperative proposed the idea of the Saturday afternoon town hall meeting on the Salmonella outbreak just three weeks before the conference, an event that was well attended.
